Improvement in belt-shipping devices for self-acting mules



H. MACON.

lmprovemen in Belt-Shipping Devices for Self-Acting Mules. NO. "4,310.Pate'nted May 2,187I.

INVENTH auch seta am effet.

HEZEKIAH MAOON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOSHUA HUNT,OFSAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 114,310, dated May 2, 1871.

`IMP-ROVEIVIENT IN BELT-SHIPPING DEVICES FOR SELF-ACTING MULES.

The Schedule referred ta in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

I, `lEIEznKIAH MACON, of Providence, in the county of Providence andState of Rhode Island, have invented a new and 'useful Device forShifting the Driving-Belt upon Spinning-Mules,77 of which the followingis a specification. p

' In the accompanying drawing which makes a part of this specification-Figure 1 shows `my device attached tothe frame of a mule-head whenlooking down upon the same.

Figure 2 is a perspective' view of my device.

My invention consists of a series of levers, to the last of which isattached a latch, which-shuts over the belt-guide. The first 'isoperated by a spindle resting upon the long lever, a well-known part ofthe mule. Around the spindle is a ring, held by a set-screw, andprojecting from one side is an arm, whidh rests upon the end of' thefirst lever.

A A, frame of the mule-head.

B, the long lever.

qs, the spring coiled about the cam-shaft. X, the spindle resting uponthe long lever.

Y, the ring, with projecting arm, which can be adjusted upon the spindleX.

It, the set-screw in the ring.

YV, the first level'.

Z,the second level'. l

L, the last lever, with latch attachment.

H, the belt-guide, which assumes the position shown by dotted lines M.

O, the driving-belt.

I and J, the pulleys.

It is well known how the direction of the carriage of a mule is changedby a'cam throwing the belt from one pulley to another, and the lockingand unlocking of the clutches.

It is also so well known that I need not state in detail that thecarriage operates upon the long lever', and this works a cam, by which,as well as the spring coiled about the shaft, the belt-guide is movedtoward the pulley; that the belt is carried slowly upon the pulley,which is notdriven by the belt till it has slipped on to near the centerof the pulley. This little time thus required for the vbelt to pass uponthe pulley has caused acertain relaxed motion of the mule, andconsequent loss of tension upon the threads.` The result carried bytheguide upon the pulley J, the guide H compressing the spring S. The guideH, as'it slides along, is caught by the latch L, and it, and the springin tension, are held iii-ml y until the latch-lever is raised. As thecarriage comes toward the head it presses upon the long lever B, towhich is attached the spindle X, which is drawn down. The spindle drawsdown the lever W, and this acts through leger Z'upon 'the latch-lever L,which is raised, letting go the guide H, which, by force of the springS, carries almost instantaneously the belt upon the pulley I. The sameoperation is repeated as before, the guide is again caught and held bythelatch-lever L, and,'by the same means, again freed.

By this ,instantaneous change of the belt, perfect, or almost so,tension is produced and preserved. The quality oi' evenness is thusgiven to the thread throughout its whole length,and'that at the nose ofthe cop is as smoothly and evenly wound as that at the bottom. Thequantity of thread spun in a given time is also greatly increased.

The ring Y, around the spindle X, is held by a setscrew, and can beraised or lowered, thus governing, to a vcertain extent, the action ofthe long lever upon my system of levers, and by which, also, the tensionis preserved as the thread is being wound about the nose of the cop. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination, with the long lever B, of the spindle X provided withthe adjustable ring and arm Ythe levers W Z, latch-lever L, belt-guideH, and

spring S, all arranged and operating as described to instantaneouslyshift: the driving-belt, as and for the' purpose specified.

HEZEKIAH MACON.

Witnesses: J. ERAsTUs LESTER, WILLIAM H. Conni'.

